


Aunt Wu's Apprentice

by daisyisawriter91



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Aggressive Bolin Appreciation, Awkwardness, Canon Compliant, F/F, Fortune Telling, Friendship, Inaccurate Palm Reading, Korra is a little shit, Mako can't say no to his brother, Meng is a little shit, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:00:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26658574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisyisawriter91/pseuds/daisyisawriter91
Summary: On the journey to find airbenders, Team Avatar makes a stop in Makapu village to find a fortune teller, the former apprentice of Aunt Wu, who has many things to say to the four of them when they enter her abode.
Relationships: Bolin & Asami Sato, Bolin & Korra & Mako & Asami Sato, Bolin & Korra (Avatar), Bolin & Mako (Avatar), Korra/Asami Sato, Mako & Asami Sato
Kudos: 43





	1. Mako

Mako did not believe in fortune telling. 

Even with all he had seen, he simply could not believe it existed. No normal human could discern the trajectory of another person’s life. Maybe the Avatar could, but a quick glance at Korra proved she _wouldn’t_ be doing such a thing anytime soon, even if she could.

Still, Mako had trouble saying no to Bolin, even if he also had the added peer pressure of Asami and Korra goading him into it.

The waiting room for the fortune teller, a mysterious Aunt Meng, was stuffy, overly cushioned, and smelled uncomfortably of lavender. The bean curd puffs, however, made the experience bearable. Those he could snatch from Korra and Bolin, that was.  
Mako sat ramrod straight on his cushion, stubbornly refusing to look Bolin in the eyes. Bolin had a way of turning his eyes wide and shining when he wanted something. It reminded Mako _far_ too much of when they were children, and it never failed to work on him.

“Come oooooooon, Mako! Please go first! Even if there’s nothing to it, at least you can say you’ll have visited a fortune teller!” Bolin begged. He was on his knees in front of Mako, gripping onto his collar.  
“I saw a battle between a giant version of Korra and a dark spirit carpet, and I’m helping restore a dead race. I think I’ll use that to brag about life experience.” Mako snapped.  
“You know, for someone who says he doesn’t care, you sure are putting up a big fuss.” Korra added. Mako sent a glare her way, which only caused a devilish grin to spread across her face.

How had he _ever_ dated such a back-stabber?

“Pleeeeeaaaaase Makoooooooo,” Bolin whined, forcibly dragging Mako further down.  
Finally, Mako looked into his eyes, trying his best to ignore the begging face that typically worked so well. He couldn’t compromise his principles for just anything.  
“Why is it so important to you that I go first?” Mako asked.  
Something flashed in Bolin’s eyes, a look Mako recognized all too well. Long had he prayed he would never see that look again, but his prayers long went unanswered.  
Fear. 

_Oh._

“Alright, fine, I’ll go get my stupid fortune read.” Mako made a show of groaning about it. Though some of it was real, many of his arguments melted away upon seeing Bolin’s fear.  
Mako stood, shaking Bolin’s grasp.  
“Thank you! You’re the best brother! It’ll be worth it, I promise!”  
Mako rolled his eyes.

Aunt Meng’s assistant waited for him in the doorway. Mako did not look her in the eye as he approached the door, face burning from the embarrassment of it.  
He was weak to the polar beardog eyes.

Aunt Meng sat on a cushion on one side of a giant metal bowl which, ominously, was empty. Mako had somewhat been expecting fruit or perhaps skulls.  
Meng smiled at his entrance, warmly. She was a gray haired woman clearly in her eighties, wearing a soft green and pink robe, typical of the Earth Kingdom.  
She looked a bit like how he imagined his grandmother to look.  
His heart gave a painful clench before he remembered what he was there for.

“Mako! Come in, sit down! Get comfortable, please.” Meng gestured to the cushion opposite hers and, silently, he complied, sitting on yet another cushion.  
At Mako’s side was another, smaller bowl, full of what had to be a mix of human and animal bones. Mako’s stomach churned.  
He could understand a bit more of Bolin’s fears.

“So, uh...how does this work?” Mako asked. Some morbid part of him was curious as to how this sham practice actually worked.  
“Well, depending on your comfort level, we could begin with a palm reading, then turn to the bones, or just jump straight into the bones!” She seemed overly chipper at the word _bones_ , and frankly, Mako hated it.  
“Um...bones?” He tentatively proposed. He didn’t particularly enjoy the idea of a random woman touching his palm. It made his hands itch simply thinking of it.  
The thrill in Meng’s eyes was further confirmation.

A chill ran up Mako’s spine.

Quick as a flash, Meng lit a fire in the bowl. Quicker than Mako could even see. Was she a firebender? Or simply highly practiced?  
“Now, choose a bone from the bowl and cast it into the fire.” Meng instructed.

He was doing this for Bolin, he reminded himself.  
Damn Bolin.

Hesitantly, Mako reached into the bowl, finding a wedge shaped bone. A hind leg of an animal, surely.  
He tossed it into the basin and jumped, slightly, as it began to crack and pop. The smell that filtered into the room near immediately was certainly unnerving, to say the least.  
He’d never smelt anything quite like it.

Meng leaned forward, a hand on her chin.  
“I see…” She muttered.

A moment of silence hung in the air, uncomfortably. At least, uncomfortable for Mako. Meng appeared absorbed in the cracks in the bone.  
“I understand. Your destiny is wrapped in ice and snow. Your heart is encased in the ice you will one day come to love. Once the ice melts, warmth will set in.”

That wasn’t cryptic at _all_. Mako could have laughed.  
He was being proven correct.

“Right, gotcha. So, what are you saying?” Mako kept his voice blank. He certainly didn’t want to disrespect her, even if her entire practice was a sham.  
Meng gained a mischievous smile on her face, her eyes twinkling in the firelight.  
“I see a Water Tribe love in your future.”

Definitely a sham.

He only knew a handful of members of the Water Tribe, and those he was closest to were Korra and her parents. And, well. He didn’t exactly foresee a grand romance with any of them.  
He didn’t want to associate with his brother’s abuser and her equally terrifying brother, either.

“You have yet to meet them. But when you do, they will change your entire life.”

He’d heard enough, and she seemed to be finished speaking. Apparently, he could only hear about his love life, something not even remotely set in stone.  
Mako stood, dusting off his pants.  
“Well, this has been _great_. Thank you, Aunt Meng,” he bowed as he spoke. “But I think I’ve taken up enough of your time.”

As quickly as he could without being suspicious, he left the room, clearing the way for the next person.

“Well?! How was it?!” Bolin demanded, clinging immediately onto Mako when he sat back down.  
Mako shrugged. Somewhere deep down, he was a bit disappointed. He’d been expecting just a bit more, perhaps about his career or the course of his life.  
But apparently, his love life was the most fascinating information.

“It was fine. Got a few supposed ‘tips’,” Mako made air quotes. “About my love life and that was that.”  
Bolin visibly relaxed. And that made the entire experience worth it.  
“You’ll have to tell me about it later. For now, I think it’s my turn. Maybe I’ll learn something about my future wife!”  
With that, Bolin strode towards the door and waited for them to open before disappearing inside. Mako smiled after him.

Definitely worth it.


	2. Bolin

Bolin believed in fortune telling, and was _utterly terrified_ of it.

He couldn’t stop imagining what he would do if his reading was bad. Was he doomed? What if he was told he would die in three days?  
What would he do with his last days?!

Still, Bolin took a deep breath, attempting to clear his mind of any doubts. He could do this. Mako had cleared it. Bolin wouldn’t likely get much more than a few tidbits about his love life and that would be that!

Bolin stepped inside the room, immediately coughing at the overpowering scent of lavender.

Why were they even stopped here? Bolin had the deep feeling he wanted to move on, but Korra insisted this place was important.  
They couldn’t ignore her weird Avatar instincts at least _once_?

The town seemed normal enough, a bridge between Earth Kingdom, Water Tribe, and Republic City. Except for the fact that _everyone was obsessed with fortune telling._  
And worst of all, Korra insisted they all get their fortunes read! As if she didn’t already know her destiny. She was the Avatar, for crying out loud!

Bolin believed in fortune telling. But some part of him didn’t want to know what his future held. Good or bad, he wanted it to remain a mystery.   
But Korra wouldn’t let up until they all got their fortunes read. She seemed oddly insistent on it. And after making Mako clear it for him, he got the sense that his brother would never let him forget it if he chickened out.

The bowl in the middle of the room was alight with a slowly dying flame. Beside the only other empty cushion was a smaller bowl of bones.

_Bones._

What could she possibly use bones for?

A knot tied itself in his throat, unbidden and unpleasant. Wonderful. He hoped she wasn’t a mind reader as well.

Aunt Meng gave him a bright, warm smile. She had a dusting of faded freckles over her cheeks and rounded pink nails. Her robes were patterned with cherry blossoms and leaves.  
At the very least, Bolin could see himself feeling safe with her. If not for the bowl of bones. That was undeniably creepy.  
“Bolin, welcome! Make yourself at home.”  
Awkwardly, Bolin sat on the cushion opposite Meng, resting his hands on his knees. He glanced, nervously, around the room.

Candles hung from the ceiling, kept in basket-like chains, casting their light across the cushion filled room.  
Doors closed off a round window, blocking all outside influences of light. In the four corners of the room, a sheer cloth was draped, creating an extra layer of comfort.  
Meng was truly attempting to make her guests feel at home. And, in some small capacity, it was working. Already, Bolin was a bit more at ease.

“Now, I offer two methods of fortune telling. A simple palm reading, and, of course, the bones.” Meng gestured to the bowl beside Bolin as he spoke.  
Even just looking at it gave Bolin the creeps. He wasn’t entirely sure what ‘the bones’ entailed and, frankly, he didn’t want to find out.  
“Uh, just the palm reading, please. No...human...or animal...remains…” Bolin trailed off, trying not to look at the bone bowl for much longer.  
Meng smiled. 

Seemingly from nowhere, she produced a giant lid and placed it over the bowl. Bolin could hear the fire extinguishing, draining light from the room.  
Meng strode around the side of the bowl, kneeling in front of Bolin.

“Give me your dominant hand.”   
Obediently, Bolin held out his right hand for Meng to inspect.  
She cupped his hand in one of her own, using the other to skim, featherlight, over the lines on Bolin’s hand. Bolin tried not to jerk away, or show how much it tickled.

“Mhm…” Meng murmured. “This is _very_ impressive, indeed.”   
“What is it?” Bolin asked. His heart sped up. He prayed his palms wouldn’t begin to sweat from nerves.  
“You have a great destiny ahead of you, my dear. A grand and sweeping thing that will become the stuff of legends. You have a Hero’s Line, a rather strong one.”  
Meng pointed out the prominent line on his right hand. Bolin’s face was on fire from the praise.  
“Wow, uh, you can get all that from a line on my hand?”  
“I can. You are a hero, Bolin. Your greatest deeds have yet to arrive. But no one will forget your name when they do.”

She wasn’t looking at his hand, anymore. Instead, she gave him a soft smile, her eyes filled with warmth and hope.  
For the first time, Bolin forgot his nerves.  
 _She believed in him._

However, the calm was shattered as soon as she looked back at his hand and chuckled.  
“Oh, my. It seems you will have six children with the love of your life.”  
“ _Six?!_ ” It was blurted before he could even hope to stop it.

Rather unwanted images flashed in his mind.  
Dirty streets, large rats, fire, burns. Blood, so much blood.  
If he really was going to have six kids, he wouldn’t leave them. He would fight fate, itself, so he didn’t have to leave them.

“Yes, six! For a more accurate reading on who they could be, I would use the bones. But, if I were to guess based on your family line, I would say they will all be powerful benders. Most likely earthbending, like their father.”  
Six tiny earthbenders running around. Bolin couldn’t control the grin that erupted on his face.  
He’d always wanted kids someday. Having it confirmed he would have a family - a big one, at that - was everything he hoped for.

“And what about the love of my life that you mentioned?” Bolin leaned forward, eagerly. Meng let out a laugh at how excited he was.  
“Now, I make it a point not to give away too many details about a future love. Forcing love upon an individual due to supposed obligation is the worst thing I can think of. Let fate do as she pleases, alright?”   
Though her tone was light, her eyes were serious. Swiftly, Bolin nodded.

He didn’t exactly want to mess with a fortune teller. Who knew what could happen?

“Very good. All I will say is, your beloved is from the Earth Kingdom.”  
The Earth Kingdom. That narrowed it down, somewhat, but not nearly enough, in his opinion.  
Well. No matter. If he was going to have six kids with this person, he would meet them sooner or later. He supposed he could wait for more details.

Meng dropped his hand, making her way back to her cushion.  
“I’m afraid that is all I have to tell you, Bolin.”  
Bolin stood and bowed, as deeply as he could.  
“Thank you for your time, Aunt Meng. Your insight is deeply appreciated.”  
She exchanged a small bow in return. He took it as his cue to leave and stepped out of the room. He returned to his place by Mako with a stupid grin on his face.

“So? What did she tell you?” Asami prompted.  
“You three are gonna be aunts and uncle to six kids.” Bolin answered, his voice dreamier than he expected it to be.  
Mako blanched, ever so slightly, but his face softened into a smile. He patted Bolin’s shoulder.

“Congrats in advance.” Korra chimed in.  
“I think that makes sense for you.” Asami added, her face showing nothing but support.

As Asami stood to go next, Bolin couldn’t stop smiling to himself.  
He neglected to mention the hero part. He would keep that bit under his hat unless Meng’s predictions ever came true.

He doubted it.  
But he was allowed to hope.


End file.
